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Wizengamot
:"A sort of British Parliament, or court, for witch and wizards." :— On the Wizengamot The Wizengamot, originally known in medieval times as the Wizards Council, is a committee, or parliament of witches and wizards tasked with the interrogation of convicted magical criminals, to decipher their wrong doings, if any, and decide whether or not said criminal is innocent or guilty. They are also involved in the debates, and creation of various different laws throughout the British isles. The Wizengamot Headquarters are on Level 2 within the Ministry of Magic within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Courtroom used by the Council is located on Level 10 beneath the Department of Mysteries. Typically, the court has up to 50 members, who each hold seats in the chamber for various reasons. Whilst many are solely Wizengamot, some members are taken from various departments throughout the Ministry of Magic, namely the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It is also common for holders of the Order of Merlin to hold seats as well as various other witch and wizards the Minister for Magic trusts. A Chief Warlock, who is usually expected to be impartial, presides over each case, and depending on the level of severity, may be accompanied by a Magistrate, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, the Senior Undersecretary to the Ministry of Magic, a British Youth Representative and a Court Scribe. Functions and Powers Judicial Function The Wizengamot serves as the high Wizard court of law with the responsibility for conducting trials of those accused of the most serious offences against Magical Law. Wizengamot trials are presided over by the Chief Warlock, or the Magistrate in his place, along with a jury comprising of Seated Members of the Council. All Council members are entitled to sit on the jury but typically a select number will preside during any particular trial. Verdicts are decided by majority vote without any requirement for unanimity. Wizengamot trials have historically been brief and concise but the modern-day Council has made efforts to make these trials more open and structured. The accused may present witnesses to be questioned by the Wizengamot. A third-party with legal knowledge may speak on behalf of a defendant, fulfilling a similar role to that of a modern advocate, yet this practice is still rare. The accused is magically secured to a chair in the middle of the Courtroom. The Chief Warlock will ask for the presentation of the case for and against the accused before they are further interrogated by members of the jury. Legislative Function The Wizengamot also serves as the Parliament for the British Wizarding community. Whereas most laws are introduced by the decision of the Wizengamot, Executive orders are sometimes introduced directly by the Minister for Magic and other Ministry officials. The Wizengamot has the power to question these decisions but seldom does so, instead only debating legislation which is brought before it directly. All members are entitled to vote on legislation brought before the Council. Legislative sessions are overseen by the Chief Warlock or Magistrate acting in his place. Wizengamot Leadership Roles & Duties Chief Warlock The Chief Warlock's role is to oversee all court hearings and trials from a non-biased and neutral stance, providing order and stability in sometimes heated debates, and declaring the fate of witch or wizards bound under question. The Chief Warlock partially serves as an impartial executive figure against the authority of the Minister for Magic. The role essentially combines the equivalent muggle roles of Chief Justice and Speaker of parliament. Magistrate The Magistrate (formerly known as the Vice-Chancellor) provides counsel and guidance to both the Chief Warlock and Jury of the court. In smaller cases, such as disciplinary hearings, the Magistrate may preside instead of the Chief Warlock. The holder essentially serves as the chief legal officer in the Council, similar to the muggle offices of Attorney General or Lord Chancellor. Seated Members / Jurors The Seated Members (also Jurors or Council) participate in hearings and trials by questioning those who stand accused, participating in various debates, and voting on important matters such the convictions of the accused, or new laws. Certain Ministry officials hold their seats ''ex officio ''in virtue of their positions of responsibility in the Ministry but members can also be appointed individually to the Wizengamot for its own purposes. Seated Members may consist of: *Official Wizengamot employees *Head of Departments (particularly the Magical Law Enforcement) *Special Advisors to the Wizengamot *Aurors *Holders of the Order of Merlin 1st or 2nd class *Other honorary witch and wizards granted seats by the Minister for Magic Court Scribe The Court Scribe's duty is to put the hearing or trial into word form, through use of quill and scroll. British Youth Representative The British Youth Representative is a coveted spot held by an exceptional student, usually from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They attend the hearings and trials of young witch and wizards so that they can be fairly represented, and can be granted leave from the castle in these rare cases. List of Current Members Behind the Scenes *''The Wizengamot ''can be found in the virtual world Second Life® @ Mischief Managed, a devotional sim created by Anya Ohmai and voluntarily maintained by various creative Administrators and players. You can find out more information here: http://mischiefmanagedsl.net *In 2021, Helena Arlet, a student character at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was put on trial for the attempted murder of another student. This made the Wizengamot's first appearance, whereby a chamber set was devised, and a series of characters introduced, namely Judy Dorchester and Zimelda Zemeckis. *In order to become part of the Wizengamot, one must simply put this in their Adults backstory when applying to join Mischief Managed. Alternatively, a character that will be, or has graduated Hogwarts, can submit a request to join the Wizengamot by informing a member of the Roleplay Department. *It is possible for at least one student to be the British Youth Representative. Category:Ministry Category:Wizengamot